releases: https://shea-porter.house.gov/media/press-releases/shea-porter-amendment-requiring-colleges-universities-address-opioid-crisis
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://shea-porter.house.gov/media/press-releases/shea-porter-amendment-requiring-colleges-universities-address-opioid-crisis | Shea-Porter Amendment Requiring Colleges, Universities to Address Opioid Crisis Adopted by House Education and Workforce Committee | 2017-12-12 | 2017 | 2017-12 | Democrat | House | NH | Carol Shea-Porter | S001170 | shea-porter.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) today secured unanimous bipartisan support for her amendment requiring colleges and universities to adopt drug- and alcohol-abuse prevention programs that specifically address the opioid crisis. The amendment is now a part of the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Higher Education Act reauthorization bill. “There’s more we could be doing to confront substance use and opioid addiction on college campuses, and today’s reauthorization represents a key opportunity to do so,” said Shea-Porter. “From my conversations with Granite State parents, young people, educators, first responders, and medical professionals, one common theme stands out: We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to fighting the opioid crisis. Today, we can make sure higher education institutions will be part of the solution.” Shea-Porter’s amendment reinstates the current requirement that institutions adopt prevention programs, which was removed from the House’s reauthorization bill, and for the first time specifies that institutions must address opioid use with plans that support prevention, harm reduction, and recovery on campus. House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Vice Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) also spoke in support of the Shea-Porter amendment. A transcript of Shea-Porter’s full remarks is below: “As a nation, we are facing a heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis that claims 90 American lives to overdose each day. College campuses have not been immune to this crisis. As Chairman Rokita rightly pointed out at a joint subcommittee hearing just weeks ago, ‘… this epidemic does not just affect older working Americans, it is affecting high school and college kids as well.’ Today, traditional college-age Americans, those between the ages of 18 and 25, are at highest risk of abusing opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. And the number of opioid-related claims for coverage reported by Blue Cross Blue Shield has almost doubled since 2010 for college-aged patients. “There’s more we could be doing to confront substance use and opioid addiction on college campuses, and today’s reauthorization represents a key opportunity to do so. Current law already requires an institution to certify to the Secretary that it has adopted a drug- and alcohol-abuse prevention program in order to be eligible for Title IV funding. This requirement has been in law for 30 years, and my amendment maintains this requirement, which was removed from the underlying bill. And, because it is unlikely that a prevention program designed 20 to 30 years ago is well-suited to address the heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid crisis, my amendment for the first time specifies that plans must address opioid use with plans that support prevention, harm reduction, and recovery on campus. “The first component in these plans, prevention, addresses a gap for this student demographic. While much current opioid prevention work is being done at the K-12 level, experts are concerned that the higher education community isn’t doing enough to address the prevalence of opioid abuse and addiction among college students. Prevention programs can ensure that students understand the dangers of heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioids, including the high risk of dependence – and that they have the tools to help their peers seek help. “Second, these plans will include a harm reduction strategy. We know the terrifying statistics: Overdose is now the leading cause of injury death nationwide. Heroin deaths alone have surpassed gun homicides. We are now losing more Americans to fatal overdoses than we lost to HIV/AIDS at the peak of that crisis. But we have a tool that saves lives: Narcan. And we need to get it into the right hands – including on college campuses. A 2015 CDC study of community-based opioid overdose prevention programs found that when these organizations gave out more than 152,000 Narcan rescue kits to community members, over 26,000 lives were saved. These are the kinds of resources that colleges and universities can put in place in a strategic way to prevent avoidable overdose deaths. Finally, this amendment asks institutions to plan for a third and equally essential component: Recovery support. Experts see a growing number of students in recovery – a trend that is both a blessing and a challenge. Students who are in recovery from substance abuse face unique challenges maintaining their sobriety on campus, where alcohol and drug use can be prevalent at social events. Institutions of higher education can support members of their communities who are in recovery in many ways, including through support groups, substance-free dorm floors or collegiate recovery programs. Collegiate recovery programs, which are being offered on an increasing number of campuses, are a college- or university-provided, supportive environment within the campus culture that reinforces the decision to engage in a lifestyle of recovery from substance use.” “As you likely know, my home state of New Hampshire has been among the hardest hit by the ongoing opioid crisis. From my conversations with Granite State parents, young people, educators, first responders, and medical professionals, one common theme stands out: We needs an all-hands-on-deck approach to fighting the opioid crisis. Today, we can make sure higher education institutions will be part of the solution.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |